Receptacle for concealing valuables



Sept. 19, 1967 G. o. 'RIEGRAF RECEPTACLE FOR 'CONCEALING VALUABLES Filed Feb. 10, 1966 INVENTOR Gerhard Riegraf 5 2 ATTORN s United States Patent 3,342,407 RECEPTACLE FOR CONCEALING VALUABLES Gerhard 0. Riegraf, 59 Winnender Strasse, 7151 Affalterbach, Germany Filed Feb. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 526,567 6 Claims. (Cl. 232-4) ABSTRACT OF ,THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle for concealing valuables, such as jewelry or money, in the form of a box having front, side and rear walls and having a provision for attaching ornamental designs or pictures thereto, further having said front wall provided with ridges meeting in the bottom of said box to form an angle, said juncture being located at approximately the center of the bottom wall of said box. i

The invention relates to receptacles for concealing valuables, and more particularly to such receptacles which may be hung on a wall.

For the purpose of accommodating money, jewelry and cosmetic articles, savings-boxes, caskets, ornamental cabinets and similar receptacles have been used. However their use is easily recognized by outsiders. Built-in or wall safes are expensive and not suitable for all uses.

The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior devices by providing a receptacle in which jewelry, money and other valuables may be stored unobtrusively and yet in a manner to be easily accessible. This is realized by a receptacle which an unknowing observer will regard merely as a piece of room decoration, so that discretion will be preserved at all times. It is designed as a more or less flat box which preferably has the form of a rectangular prism and may be hung on the wall of a room by means of an opening provided in the lid on its rear side.

This unobtrusive receptacle may be made of wood, metal, extruded, molded or cast resin, plastic, glass, porcelain, ceramic, earthenware, or pasteboard. The shape of the fiat container may, instead of the rectangular configuration, also be given any irregularly polygonal, circular, oval configuration. For camouflage, its front side is designed as a relief or provided with a picture, mirror, inscription or drawing, with a clock, musical clock, thermometer, barometer, hygrorneter, or calendar. Depending on its particular design, the receptacle may be opened at one side and may be equipped with a lock. If it is camouflaged with a picture or mirror, it may be surrounded with customary picture or mirror frames in order to perfect the deception.

Thus the receptacle may be used as a savings-box, deedbox for bonds and documents, letters or keys, as a tool box, house bar, as a casket for cosmetic or hygienic articles. Moreover, the installation of a loudspeaker, a speaking system, a listening system, a radio or magnetic-tape set is possible; furthermore, it may be designed as a smoking set, writing set, smoke consumer, air moistener, box for sweets, etc.

Illustrated in the drawings as an illustrative embodiment of this invention is a simple, rectangular, small box serving as a savings-box the subsequent description of which will explain the individual features of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective representation of the box.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along lines 22 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 shows the box as seen from the front side, the upper portion of the front wall being broken away.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the reference number 1 designates the front of the box, the outer surface of which has attached adhesively thereto a drawing, ornamental means,

vble through the slot 15 3,342,407 Patented Sept. 19, 1967 I an illustration or the like indicated at 7. A rear face 3 1n the form of abox lid facing a wall is provided with an opening 2 to hang the device on the wall. In the present embodiment, the box has the configuration of a rectangular prism. Rear face 3 may be provided with a conventional safety lock 4 by which the rear face 3 is locked to the lefthand side wall of the box. This rear face may be affixed to the other side wall by means of hinges, or it may be entirely removable, in accordance with the illustration in the figures of the drawings. When opening the lock and after exerting a slight pressure against the lefthand side thereof, the rear face 3 is completely removaprovided between two projections 5 and 6 in the side surface. This is accomplished by pulling the rear face to the left disengaging it from between projections 5 and 6.

The walls of the box project slightly beyond the edges of the front of the box, which is provided with the picture, drawing or mirror by adhesive or other means, thus giving the picture or mirror a simple, tasteful frame. In FIGURE 2, it is indicated how the picture 7 is framed by the projecting edges 8. If the receptacle is to serve as a savings-box, a slot Q is provided on the top side. In order to prevent the coins from dropping out when the box is turned over, another safety slot 10, made of e.g. of an elastic material, may be provided in close proximity below the receiving slot. The edges of the safety slot 10 are serrated and interlocked. If a coin is inserted, it will also pass through this latter slot by the pressure exerted thereon. The elastic slot membrane then prevents the money from falling out even if the box is violently tossed or turned over. It will be apparent that opening 2 in the rear wall may be used to insert rolled up bank-notes.

In addition to its aforementioned use as a storing place for jewelry and valuables which is difiicult to detect, such a hanging box may also serve as a key deposit. It may also accommodate a small radio, in which case the front of the box is provided with sound holes before being covered with the picture or with a fancy textile material.

In order to insure that the receptacle continues to hang in the proper position, ridges 11 extending from the side walls toward the center of the lower receptacle surface may be provided on the inner surfaces. On the front surface 1 opposite the rear face 3, the ridges 13 are provided, which extend below the ridges 11 in order to prevent the coins from dropping out laterally. Therefore, inserted coins will accumulate in the tapering space thus created, and by their weight will cause the receptacle, which is hung up by the opening in the lid, to occupy exactly the vertical position. The ridges 11 and 13 are indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3. In FIGURE 1, they have not been drawn in order not to obscure the illustration. From adjacent to rear face 3 the ridges 11 project into the inner space of the receptacle. They form the acute angle 12 in which the inserted coins 14 accumulate. The overlapping of ridges 11 and 13, while preventing the coins from dropping out laterally, at the same time insure that after the receptacle has been opened the lid is reinserted into its proper position.

While the invention has been described, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention, following in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A receptacle for concealing valuables comprising:

(a) a box having front, side and rear walls,

(b) means positioned centrally relative to said rear wall for suspending said box on a wall,

(c) Ornamental means positioned on said front wall,

(d) said side walls extending beyond said front wall thereby providing mounting means and a frame for said ornamental means, and

(e) said front wall being provided with ridges meeting in the bottom of said box to form an angle whereby coins will tend to collect at the juncture of said ridges, said juncture being located at approximately the center of the bottom wall of said box.

2. A receptacle for concealing valuables as defined in claim 1 wherein said rear wall has a safety lock thereon.

3. A receptacle for concealing valuables as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls has at least one pair of projections, said rear wall being positioned between said projections.

4. A receptacle for concealing valuables as defined in claim 3 wherein said rear wall has a safety lock thereon, said safety lock engaging a side Wall, said projections being located on a side wall opposite said lock engaging side wall.

5. A receptacle for concealing valuables as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said walls is provided with means for receiving and retaining coins.

6. A receptacle for concealing valuables as defined in claim 5 wherein said retaining means includes an elastic device having a slot therein, said slot being formed with interlocking serrated edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 164,251 8/1951 Moran 2324 X D. 164,252 8/1951 Moran 232-4 X 928,483 7/1909 Wakeman 232-4 1,115,403 10/1914 Cseh 23243.1 1,691,628 11/ 1928 Greer 2326 1,704,773 3/1929 Spillane 232-1 X 1,733,052 10/ 1929 Corbett 232-6 1,840,884 1/ 1932 Brosnan 2324 2,389,716 11/1945 Carlson 23 2-6 2,401,065 5/ 1946 Gonzalez 232--4 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RECEPTACLE FOR CONCEALING VALUABLES COMPRISING: (A) A BOX HAVING FRONT, SIDE AND REAR WALLS, (B) MEANS POSITIONED CENTRALLY RELATIVE TO SAID REAR WALL FOR SUSPENDING SAID BOX ON A WALL, (C) ORNAMENTAL MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID FRONT WALL, (D) SAID SIDE WALLS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FRONT WALL THEREBY PROVIDING MOUNTING MEANS AND A FRAME FOR SAID ORNAMENTAL MEANS, AND (E) SAID FRONT WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH RIDGES MEETING IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BOX TO FORM AN ANGLE WHEREBY 